In this captivating video, National Geographic covers one of the world's most dangerous roads.
Watch Jonathan Derksen, Director of Enodo Adventures, an adventure tour company, describe his intense experiences along the "Road of Death" in Bolivia.
It spans a route from capital city La Paz to Coroico that sees trucks and buses fly off cliffs, at one point contributing up to 300 deaths a year with the most deaths per square mile.
From twirling, winding roads along massive cliffs with hairpin turns to blind curves; National Geographic offers a 3-step "danger equation" that uses a set of criteria to "assign " a grade for the magnitude of danger for each road. They are sheet topography, extreme climate, and unstable geology - elements of, when combined, lead to the worst possible road conditions.
The Road of Death, also known as North Yungus, stretches for 40-miles along the Amazon rainforest, cutting through waterfalls, streams, and clouds. Its highest peak is 4,800 meters tall, with a hard stop at the 700-meter mark where the road turns into a three meter wide, single lane so bad, bicycling tour groups are forced to ride in single formation with guides at the front and back for cover.
NEXT:WINTER DRIVING: LOVE IT OR HATE IT?
WATCH
